BAKERSFIED, Calif. (KGET) — Kern Medical said it’s shuttering two of its retail pharmacy locations due to state regulations and resultant costs.
Gov. Gavin Newsom signed an executive order in January 2019 requiring California Department of Health Care Services to transition all Medi-Cal pharmacy services from Managed Care Plans to Medi-Cal fee-for-service plans by Jan. 1.
Fifteen full-time positions will be impacted by the closures, though Kern Medical said some of those employees will be transferred to other positions.
The hospital said not only jobs will be impacted; that after running the numbers, the new rule would make them lose more than $2.5 million in yearly operating costs.
The locations that will be closing are the Kern Medical Campus Pharmacy at 2014 College Ave. and the Sagebrush Medical Plaza Pharmacy at 1111 Columbus St., effective Dec. 31.
These retail pharmacies have served Kern County for roughly 20 years, according to a news release. Kern Medical is finalizing plans to transfer the retail pharmacy medical records to another pharmacy in the area.
